Successful Press Conferences Held in Finland and Sweden

Finland recently had the honour to receive professor Zhang Kunlun, his wife Zhang Shumei, and Zhang Cuiying from Australia as they travelled to different countries, telling how they had been physically and mentally tortured, humiliated, imprisoned, and sent to Chinese labor camps. In February of this year, a Swedish language newspaper interviewed American journalist Danny Schechter, author of the book Falun Gong's Challenge to China. At the same time, a Swedish Falun Gong practitioner was in Finland and was interviewed by the same newspaper, because she had been detained in China for 14 hours while visiting her Falun Gong friends there. In her interview, she described how her human rights had been violated without just cause while detained by the police. After this, in March 2001, Chinese ambassador L Xinhua invited the media to a press conference, but only four reporters showed up. On March 26 2001, we held a press conference in Finland with professor Zhang and three Falun Gong practitioners. The press conference was held on the same boat we had taken from Sweden to Finland. To our surprise, 9 Finnish reporters attended the meeting. Also attending were reporters from the Xinhua News Agency, Guanming Daily, plus three more Chinese persons who were students at the University of Helsinki. First, a Falun Gong spokesperson made a statement about the situation Falun Gong practitioners face in China, and then the practitioners told what they had personally experienced in China. After that, the press wanted to conduct various interviews, so three different groups were interviewed at the same time. It was necessary to have two Chinese interpreters. All the reporters could not interview the practitioners at the same time, so while some were waiting, they were encouraged to watch a video about China's human rights violations and the analysis of the self-immolation incident at Tiananmen Square. This all proceeded smoothly without any disturbances. Directly after the meeting, one report appeared on the radio at noon, and by evening there was also a big report on TV. The television report also ran film showing the police violently arresting practitioners on Tiananmen Square. The daily newspapers also ran reports, according to our contact person in Helsinki. The reporters said that they were happy and grateful that we had informed them about the meeting. Finnish Parliament Welcomes Falun Gong Practitioners Professor Zhang and three or four Falun Gong practitioners had travelled to different European countries to tell about the violation of Human Rights they themselves had experienced in China while being detained, imprisoned or sentenced to labour camp. They had visited Sweden at the Swedish parliament. After we learned that a husband to a female practitioner had met a Finnish parliament member in Australia and became friends with him, there came the thought that the parliament in Finland might want to know what they had been through in China We contacted this Finnish parliament member who put us in contact with a voluntary Human Rights group in the parliament. After the press conference we met three persons from the Human Rights group at the parliament. As the parliament members are not working on Mondays, they came voluntarily to meet us. The practitioners told about how they had been beaten, humiliated and tortured physically and mentally while in prison. The parliament members asked also what Falun Gong really is, which we told them. They knew about the situation in China quite well. Before we departed they planned to work together with other countries parliament on this issue. They will share the knowledge they got from Falun Gong practitioners with other parliament members, they told us. Provided by Nordic practitioners Stockholm, Sweden. On the 14th of March, the same day on which the previously reported (http://www.clearwisdom.net/eng/2001/Apr/16PFW041601_3.html) seminar at the Swedish Parliament was held, Swedish practitioners arranged a press conference to spread the truth about the ongoing persecution in China, and shine a light on all of the evil deeds that Jiang Zemin's government is committing. Among the practitioners invited were Dr. Jimmy Zhou from the U.S., Zhang Cuiying from Australia, Prof. Zhang Kunlun, a Canadian citizen, his wife Zhang Shumei, a Chinese citizen, and Anne Hakosalo, a Swedish citizen. They told of their personal experiences of being detained, imprisoned, beaten, and tortured in China. The Swedish Falun Gong representative read a press statement about the suffering and endurance of Chinese practitioners and the regime's escalating propaganda campaign. Some words were also spoken about the activities of the Consulates outside of China. For example, Chinese Consul-General, Yuan Wenjin recently submitted an article in the Swedish press that spread false propaganda about Falun Gong. Practitioners also expressed gratitude that 12, 750 Swedes had signed a petition supporting the end of the brutal crackdown, according to the Foreign Department. Finally, they asked kind-hearted people everywhere for support and assistance. The event was peaceful, with no disturbances, and 19 persons not counting the practitioners, including one from the Chinese media, were present. The response from the media was very friendly, and many individual interviews were conducted after the conference. Outside the conference hall, practitioners practiced the exercises near a photo exhibition decorated with lotus flowers. Many people passing by came in and were intrigued by both the horrible pictures from the persecution and the beautiful Falun Gong movements. More people learned that Falun Gong is good after being exposed to the truth. Earlier that day, on a beautiful, sunny morning, the practitioners practiced in a park in central Stockholm. Two big TV-stations and one of the larger radio stations were present to film and conduct interviews with the invited practitioners. Under the influence of an energy field and a serene atmosphere, it was like a "mini-conference" in the park! Provided by Swedish practitioners